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Michelia figo

Common name:	Banana Shrub	Family:	Magnoliaceae
Author:	(Lour.)Spreng.	Botanical references:	11, 200, 266
Synonyms:	Michelia fuscata ((Andrews.)Wall.)
Known Hazards:	None known
Range:	E. Asia - southern China.
Habitat:	Broad-leaved evergreen forests, shady slopes and along river banks[266].
Edibility Rating (1-5):	1	Medicinal Rating (1-5):	0

Other Possible Synonyms:	From various places across the web, may not be correct. See below.
	Liriodendron figo[G] Magnolia fuscata[G]
Other Common Names:	From various places around the Web, may not be correct. See below.
	Bananashrub [E],
Systematics:	From a USDA Plants Database
	Order: Magnoliales. Magnolia family
Other Range Info:	From the Ethnobotany Database
	China

Physical Characteristics

An evergreen shrub growing to 5m by 4m . It is hardy to zone 9 and is frost tender. It is in leaf all year, in flower from April to July, and the seeds ripen from August to November. The scented flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs). We rate it 1/5 for edibility and 0/5 for medicinal use.

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and requires well-drained soil. The plant prefers neutral soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It requires moist soil.

Habitats and Possible Locations

Woodland, Sunny Edge, By Walls, By South Wall, By West Wall.

Edible Uses

Condiment.

The leaves are used for scenting tea[183].

Medicinal Uses

Disclaimer

None known

Other Uses

None known

Cultivation details

Succeeds in a humus-rich well-drained neutral to alkaline soil in direct light or partial shade[200]. Requires a neutral to acid soil according to other reports[188, 219].
Although not very frost-hardy, plants have survived in sheltered positions outdoors in southern England[200], tolerating temperatures down to about -5° c[260]. They require the protection of a cold greenhouse at Kew gardens[11].
The flowers have a banana scent[188]. This is one of the most fragrant of all shrubs with a scent strongly resembling the sweet 'pear drops'[11].
Plants in this genus are notably resistant to honey fungus[200].

Propagation

Seed - probably best sown in a greenhouse as soon as it is ripe in the autumn, it can also be sown in the spring[200]. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Consider giving them some protection from the cold for at least their first winter outdoors.
Cuttings of greenwood, summer in a frame[200].

Scent

Flowers: Fresh: The flowers have a banana scent[188]. This is one of the most fragrant of all shrubs with a scent strongly resembling the sweet 'pear drops'.

Suppliers

For more details of plant suppliers please see our Suppliers Page which lists many more places to look.

Web References

[E] Ethnobotany Data (common names, uses, countries) from the Ethnobotany Database.
[G] Data (Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
[G] Data (Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
[HP] Links, Photos, Suppliers from Hortiplex Plant Database

References for Michelia fuscata (a possible synonym).

[E] Ethnobotany Data (common names, uses, countries) from the Ethnobotany Database.

References for the family Magnoliaceae.

To be included in the Flora of China.

See the PFAF Links Pages for other sources.

Also try Photos and info from the The Plants Database which has 14,000 images.

References

[11] Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981
A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.

[183] Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9
Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.

[188] Brickell. C. The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers Dorling Kindersley Publishers Ltd. 1990 ISBN 0-86318-386-7
Excellent range of photographs, some cultivation details but very little information on plant uses.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[219] Grey-Wilson. C. & Matthews. V. Gardening on Walls Collins 1983 ISBN 0-00-219220-0
A nice little book about plants for growing against walls and a small section on plants that can grow in walls.

[245] Genders. R. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale. London. 1994 ISBN 0-7090-5440-8
An excellent, comprehensive book on scented plants giving a few other plant uses and brief cultivation details. There are no illustrations.

[260] Phillips. R. & Rix. M. Conservatory and Indoor Plants Volumes 1 & 2 Pan Books, London. 1998 ISBN 0-330-37376-5
Excellent photos of over 1,100 species and cultivars with habits and cultivation details plus a few plant uses. Many species are too tender for outdoors in Britain though there are many that can be grown outside.

[266] Flora of China 1994
On-line version of the Flora - an excellent resource giving basic info on habitat and some uses.

Readers Comments

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Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future - Species Database. Copyright (c) 1997-2003.
WEB search engine by Rich Morris - Home Page- Contact Info
Blagdon Cross, Ashwater, Beaworthy, Devon, EX21 5DF, UK.
Website: www.pfaf.org Phone: 0845 458 4719/_44(0) 1208 872963

This page (UK) http://www.comp.leeds.ac.uk/cgi-bin/pfaf/arr_html?Michelia+figo
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